


Of the Cat That Came Back

by springbok7



Series: An Assortment of Teas and Biscuits [5]
Category: James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: #MinervaSafe, 007 Fest, 007 Fest Fancreations, 007 games, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Multi, No apologies for all the cavities, Team M-branch, established poly relationship, so much unadulterated fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-01
Updated: 2018-07-01
Packaged: 2019-05-18 21:00:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14860208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/springbok7/pseuds/springbok7
Summary: Q, Alec, and James spend the evening on the sofa. Not everyone is reading.





	Of the Cat That Came Back

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Dassandre](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dassandre/gifts), [Boffin1710](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Boffin1710/gifts), [AsheTarasovich (natalieashe)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/natalieashe/gifts).



> Written 31 December 2017, during the war zone that is my neighbourhood on New Year's Eve. Not even the Expendables at top volume could drown out the horrendous booms of the wretched -- and illegal -- aerial fireworks being set off until the not-so-wee hours of the morning.
> 
> This drabble is dedicated to fandom found family. I always wanted more sibs, and now I have them.
> 
> Currently unbeta-ed, all errors are mine alone. Please feel free to drop me a note if you see anything that needs to be fixed, and/or feel like there are tags that need to be added. I welcome constructive criticism, but neither support or feed trolls.
> 
>  
> 
> _I do not own these characters, unfortunately. No infringement of copyright is intended and no profit is being made from this piece of fan-fiction._

Q lowered his tablet slightly and glanced at his phone.  It was still and dark where it rested on the arm of the sofa.

He looked up and to his left at James.  The off-duty agent was leant back against the cushions, his reading glasses -- that Q secretly found monumentally adorable -- perched on the tip of his nose as he slowly made his way through the novel Alec had brought back for him on his latest mission to Laos.  James appeared to be engrossed in the text, elbow braced on the armrest beside him and the book casually held in one hand, while the other absent-mindedly carded fingers through Alec’s short hair.

Alec himself was curled up between them, but still somehow managed to occupy most of the sofa.  Sprawled out, halfway between lying on his side and front, his head rested on James’ thigh. His left arm was tucked up under him, his elbow peeking out behind his ribs, while his right hand curled up over James’ knee.  Alec’s knees were bent and his bum was pressed back against the sofa back and Q’s left hip. And somehow he had managed to drape his shins over Q's lap and tuck his feet down between Q's thigh and the armrest on which Q’s mobile reclined.

Q opened his mouth for a minute and then shut it again.

And then with a wicked glint in his eye he murmured, “Alec, are you purring?”

Alec cracked open his right eye and flicked a glance over his shoulder towards Q as he rolled his head just enough to bring the Quartermaster into his line of sight.

“Mmm?” His reply was all kinds of coherent.

The faint vibration that Q had felt ceased with Alec’s movement.

“ _ Mon coeur _ , what made you decide to show up as a human? It's perfectly obvious that you’re supposed to be a cat. You've been feline in at least your last three lives.  I’m certain of it.” 

James had lowered his book to the sofa arm and was peering over the tops of his specs at the two on the sofa beside him. The corner of his mouth twitched just a little to show his amusement at the exchange.

At Q's words, Alec yawned widely, his pink tongue curling towards the roof of his mouth as he did.  And then he stretched, rolling onto his stomach completely and slipping his feet free from between the sofa arm and Q's thigh to stretch them out over the sofa arm.

Somehow managing not to displace Q's mobile.

He groaned as he stretched as far as he could, before retracting his limbs back into his curled sprawl.  He kept himself pushed up a little on his elbow, however, so that he could turn his head toward Q and speak clearly, instead of murmuring his words directly into the material of James’ jeans. 

“I come back as a human at least once every three or four iterations.  Cats aren’t usually not too boring, loads of scraps, but one does require opposable thumbs to build explosives.  Or operate motorcycles. Not to mention shooting.”

“Guns.  And motorbikes.” Q's eyebrow lifted involuntarily to quirk at his agent and lover.

“Fair.”  What else could he say? The man had a point.  Anatomy was anatomy. 

Alec had one more thing to add.

“‘Sides, cats don’t live as long as humans, so that ratio splits the time about even.”

It was at that point that James decided to dip his oar in.

“Q love, remind me after this one kicks it to adopt the scruffiest feline ruffian at the shelter. We’ll remind it that its name is Alec.  I'm sure it'll be him, we'll just make sure the dates match and that’ll be that. Mostly. I’m bloody sure he’ll lie about his age whatever skin he’s wearing.”

Alec didn't deign to respond to the comment, at least verbally.

As he rolled forward again and got himself comfortable, he reached back and punched James in the shoulder without even looking.

Both James and Q laughed at him and returned to their reading.

Their free hands also returned to their very important task of stroking their “cat”.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are love, and make poor wee writers squee with joy!


End file.
